Family Moves In To New House—Backyard Discovery Has Them Calling Bomb Squad

Mat Reichardt and his family moved into a new home in Portland, Oregon, only to discover a grenade in their backyard. The previous electrician homeowner had left unclear instructions, including the location of the outdoor spigot shut-off valve. While searching for the valve, Reichardt stumbled upon a canister-like object hidden in a rusty pipe.

Recognizing the fuse and pin, he immediately identified the grenade as a military grenade, likely a U.S. M201A1 M18 colored-smoke grenade or AN-M14 thermite incendiary grenade, dating back to the 1950s. Senior research fellow at the University of South Florida Global and National Security Institute and retired U.S. Marine, Robert Burrell, confirmed the grenade's identity and emphasized its hazardous nature due to its thermite composition and prolonged environmental exposure.

Upon finding the grenade, Reichardt called the police. Officers arrived, taped off the house, blocked the street, and called in a bomb squad. They determined the grenade was a smoke grenade and sent it to a military base for proper disposal. Reichardt speculated that the grenade might have been left as part of intruder preparedness, though he couldn't provide a definite explanation.

The incident left Reichardt shaken but ultimately managed to maintain composure, handling the situation professionally while coordinating with the police and explaining the unusual situation to his young daughter.